Air-supply system for glass-drawing machines and process



Oct.26,1926. f 1,604,781

L. G. NEUROHR AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR GLASS DRAWING MKBHINES AND PROCESS Filed Dec. 2, 1922 mvamon W jw Patented Get. 26, 192G.

NEED STATE LOUIS G. NEUROHR, OF NEW" KENSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOB 'IO WINDOW GLASS MACHINE COMPANY, OF FITTQBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A COBPORATION.

OF NEW JERSEY.

AIR-SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR GLASS-DRAWTNG MACHINES AND PROCESS.

Application filed December 2, 1922. Serial No. 604,561.

This invention relates to air-supply systems for glass drawing machines. In the machine drawing of glass cylinders it is common practice to begin adraw by forming a neck and cap, and then draw the cylinder proper. To swell out the glass and form a cap requires higher air pressure than is initially employed in the cylinder portion of the draw. As is well known, it is also necessary to provide for increasing the rate of air feed as the cylinder drawing proceeds, while venting of the air system is employed in order to reduce or eliminate pulsations or bumps in the cylinder.

The cap-forming pressure has generally been attained by either partially or entirely.

closing the vent during the blowing of the cap. Various means for closing the vent have been employed, the most common being a shutter, but these require close attention if operated by hand, while mechanical operating devices are subjected to severe working conditions.

This invention provides means for supplying air at suitable pressure during cap-forming without regulating the vent opening, thereby eliminating the vent closing mecha nism with its attendant disadvantages. By this invention there is provided a plurality of air conduits arranged to supply air at diiferent pressures. A graduating valve may be provided in one conduit to secure an increasing air supply during the drawing of the cylinder proper while another may be free and unrestricted, as opposed to the throttling action of the graduating valve, and arranged to supply the air during cap forming.

. It is also possible to supply air by more than one conduit at the same time, thus putting the blowing under better control. It sometimes happens that a cylinder will require more air than can be supplied by the usual means. My invention enables the blower to supply air at higher pressure to the cylinder and thus make up for the deficiency. In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my inven- 50 tion,

Figure 1 is a general view, largely diagrammatic, of a glass drawing apparatus embodying my invention;

I Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a slightly modified form of apparatus.

In the preferred embodiment of myinvention air under pressure is supplied from any such suitable source as a fan 1 through a conduit 2 to the glass drawing bait 3. The fan 1 preferably supplies air at constant pressure. graduatingvalve 5 are placed in the con duit 2 to control. the air supplied- The graduating valve may be operated in any desired manner to gradually increase the rate of air supply during cylinder drawing. The conduit 2 terminates in a telescope pipe 6 through which the air is fed to the bait A vent opening 7 is placed in the system beyond the source of pressure and preferably adjacent the drawing bait. A second air conduit 8 containing a hand-com trolled valve 9 is bypassed around the grad uating valve 5 and into the telescope 6.

At the beginning of a draw the valve 9 is opened and the conduit 8 provides a free and unrestricted path for the air during cap-x forming. As soon-as the cap is formedthe valve 9 is closed and air is supplied to the cylinder through the conduit 2. The graduating valve 5 serves to throttle the air to a certain extent, thus reducing the pressure for drawing the cylinder proper, the valve gradually opening as the cylinder drawing proceeds.

In actual operation it frequently happens that suficient air cannotbe supplied by the ordinary means. By my invention it is possible to partially open the valve 9 during the draw, in which case the air flow is divided, part going by each of the conduits 2 and 8.- This increases the pressureof the air supplied to the cylinder and serves to keep it out to the desired size, while the graduating valve functions in the usual manner on that part of the air passing through the conduit 2, and automatically increases the air supply during the draw.

In the form shown in Fig. 3' a springclosed valve of the type generally known as a whistle valve is provided in the by-pass conduit 8 This may be operated from the blowers booth by pulling down on a connection 10. The valve may be held open A blowers valve 4 anda during cap-forming and then closed by releasing the connection 10.

I have shown the air as being supplied from a single source, but it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this construction, as a plurality of air conduits, each supplied with air at different pressures, may

,be employed in connection with a vented system in order to supply air at varying pressures and avoid the need of regulating the vent opening. v

My invention provides simple and effective means for supplying air at suitable pressure during cap-forming with a constantly open vent. It also makes it possible to impress a higher pressure on the air supplied through the graduating valve during cylinder drawing if it should be necessary.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not limited to the illustrated form, but may be embodied in other constructions without departing from he spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim: I a

1. In apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, a telescope through which air is supplied to the cylinder being drawn, a source of air under pressure, an air conduit between the telescope and the source, a second less restricted air conduit between the telescope and the source and means control-' ling. the flow of air through said conduits, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, a source of air under pressure, a conduit between the source of air and the cylinder being drawn, a plurality of control valves in the conduit, and a second conduit branching from the first conduit beyond the valve adjacent the source of pressure, substantially as described.

3. In apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, a source of air under pressure, an air conduit between the-source of air and the cylinder being drawn, a manually controlled valve and automatically controlled valve in the conduit, the automatically controlled valve being between the manually controlled valve and the cylinder being drawn, and a by-pass around the automatically controlled valve, substantially as described.

4*. In apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, a source of air under pressure, an air conduit between the source of air and the cylinder being drawn, a manually controlled valve and an automatically controlled valve in the conduinthe automatically controlled valve being between the manually controlled valve and the cylinder being drawn. a bypass around -the automatically controlled valve, and a manually controlled valve in the by-pass, substantially as described.

5. In apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, a source of air under pressure, an air conduit leading from the source of air and having a valve therein, a plurality of air conduits in parallel beyond said valve and connecting the source of air with the cylinder being drawn, and a valve in at least one of said last mentioned conduits, substantiah 1y as described. v

6. In apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, a source of air under pressure, an air conduit leading therefrom, means for controlling the amount of air supplied from the source to said conduit, a plurality of conduits in parallel connecting the single conduit with the cylinder being drawn, and a control valve in at least one of said last mentioned conduits, substantially as described.

7. In apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, a source of air under pressure, an air conduit leading therefrom and having a manually controlled valve in the conduit, a plurality of conduits in parallel beyond said valve and connecting the conduit with the cylinder being drawn, an automatically controlled valve in one of said last mentioned conduits, and a manually controlled valve in another of said last mentioned conduits, substantially as described.

8. Those steps in the herein described method of blowing machine drawn glass cylinders having caps, which consist in withdrawing a bait from a bath of molten glass to commence a draw and supplying air tothe cylinder through a conduit having a constantly open unregulated vent therein and connected to a source of pressure through branch pipes, one containing the usual automatic graduating valve and the other containing a manually operable valve, opening the manually operable valve to admit air at sufficient pressure to distend the cap in spite of the open vent, and thereafter closing the manually operated valve and drawing the cylinder proper.

9. Those steps in the blowing of machine drawn class cylinders having caps, using an air supply system having the usual graduatine' valve therein and a constantly open unre ulated vent, which consist in introduc ing additional blowing air into the system between the graduating valve and the vent at the: commencement of the draw so as to distend: the glass and form the cap.

10. Those steps in the blowing of machine drawn cylinders having caps, using an air supply s em having the usual graduating valve therein: and a constantly open unregulated vent, which consist in first introducing into the system between the graduating valve and the vent blowing air at sutlicient pressure to distend the glass and form a cap, and thereafter supplying, air through the graduating valve to blow the cylinder proper.

11. Those steps in the vblowing of machine drawn glass cylinders, which consist in withdrawing a movable bait from a bath of molten glass to commence a draw, supplying air from a stationary source by a blowing system having a constantly open unregulated vent, the air at the commencement of the draw being at a sufficient pressure to distend the glass and form a cap in spite of leakage through the vent, and thereafter supplying air at lower pressure for blowing the cylinder proper.

12. These steps in the blowing of machine drawn glass cylinders having caps, which consist in withdrawing a movable bait from bath of molten glass to commence a draw and supplying blowing air from a station ary source to the'risingcylinder past a constantly open unregulated vent and controlling the supply of air at a point remote from the vent in such manner as to first supply air past the venting opening at a pressure suiiicient to distend the rising glass and form a cap in spite of the leakage through the open vent, and thereafter so controlling the air as to supply blowing air pastsaid vent at a lower pressure for blowing the cylinder proper. g

13. lhose steps in the blowing of machine my hand.

drawn glass having glass cylinders having caps, using an air system comprising a'constantly open unregulated vent, the usual blowers valve, the usual graduating valve and a manually operable valve which consist in operating the blowers valve to control the total quantity of air supplied to the cylinder, dividing the total quantity of air supplied into at least two paths, subjecting the air traveling to the cylinder by one path to the action of the automatic graduating valve, at the same time supplying air by another path not subjected to the action of thegraduating valve but suscep tible of control by the manually operable valve and operating the manual valve in such manner as to first permit the flow of a large quantity of air by the last mentioned path so as todistend the glass and form cap, and thereafter reducing the quantity of air flowing by said last mentioned path and permitting flow of a smaller amount of fair therethrough tosupplement the air flowing to the cylinder by the first mentioned path for the drawing of the cylinder proper.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set LOUIS e. ununonn; 

